Published by The Star Staff
On Sunday, San Juan District 4 Representative Víctor Parés Otero declared the formation of a committee aimed at assessing the refurbishment of houses in rural locales, which may include the potential integration of a photovoltaic energy system.
“Our objective is clear: we aspire for residents in the rural areas of our District to possess durable homes; to achieve this, we will assemble a steering committee comprising experts from the Municipality of San Juan, the departments of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce, the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3), the Puerto Rico Planning Board, and the Builders Association, among others, with the aim of assessing the houses to determine how we can help enhance their resilience against storm impacts.”
Parés, affiliated with the New Progressive Party, mentioned that he plans to coordinate with San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero and the leaders of the agencies and organizations that will make up the committee to formulate an immediate action plan involving visits to the communities that will be affected.
“We aim to not only repair or reconstruct parts of the residences that require it but also to achieve the resilience we all desire,” Parés Otero stated. “We will also explore the viability of supplying photovoltaic energy systems, the well-known solar panels, or in some instances, batteries to provide a backup electricity source in the event of service disruptions caused by emergencies like tropical storms or hurricanes passing through Puerto Rico.”
“We recognize Mayor Miguel Romero’s dedication to the rural communities throughout San Juan,” the legislator noted. “That’s why we believe this program, set to commence in January 2025, will greatly benefit the residents of these areas. Having a resilient home should be a fundamental right, and we are committed to pursuing it.”
The legislator further explained that the initial evaluation and impact phase will occur in the Chapero, Corea, Barrio Dulce, Puntito, and Tortugo sectors of San Juan.
“This represents a comprehensive impact,” Parés Otero remarked. “Firstly, we will assess what is necessary for these houses in rural areas to become resilient; subsequently, we will analyze the impact program, which encompasses identifying state and federal funding for its execution. Following this, another platform will be developed to implement these projects.”
